Some Bermuda tourists ignoring storm’s threat

HAMILTON, Bermuda — Bertha weakened into a tropical storm and stalled near Bermuda on today, but forecasters say it might still deal a glancing blow to the Atlantic island.

Bertha’s outer bands were expected to brush the island in the coming days.

Over the weekend, most tourists chose to hang out in pools and walk along the beach instead of battle the storm-whipped surf and rip currents along Bermuda’s southern coast. Signs were posted announcing that beaches are closed.

“You can go out and swim if you like, but lifeguards will not come out and get you,” said Darnell Joell, a bartender at Coco Reef resort.

Lifeguards at Horseshoe Beach blocked the shoreline with bright red tape and turned tourists away. Many lingered, however, taking pictures of the crashing waves.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said the storm’s maximum sustained winds decreased to near 65 mph. Bertha was centered about about 190 miles south-southeast of Bermuda and was nearly stationary at midday.

The hurricane center said Bertha was expected to start moving northwest at about 2 mph (4 kph) by tonight. The center of the storm is expected to pass slowly not far to the southeast and east of Bermuda, dumping 2-4 inches of rain on the island. The center’s hurricane projection map showed Bertha sideswiping Bermuda on Monday, a day later than earlier forecasts.

Many tourists were largely unconcerned.

“It’s not really going to hit that hard,” said Eilif Kenny, 21, who was visiting from Ireland. “If it was … I’d be under the bed.”

Bertha became the Atlantic season’s first hurricane on July 7 before weakening today into a tropical storm.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Elida swirled off Mexico’s Pacific coast, about 300 miles southwest of Acapulco.

The hurricane center said Elida was headed farther out to sea. It had sustained winds of nearly 65 mph this morning and was traveling west-northwest at 16 mph.

Large swells and high surf may reach Mexico’s southwestern coast in coming days.